Investment Properties and Land
What is the housing market like in Escondido and San Marcos right now?
Zillow’s September 2026 data puts Escondido’s typical home value at $839,152 and San Marcos at $953,656, each a little above a year earlier, with fewer homes listed for sale in both cities than in September 2025.
On this page
The short answer for both cities
Zillow’s home value data for September 2026 puts the typical home value in Escondido at $839,152, up from $830,937 in September 2025. In San Marcos the typical value was $953,656, up from $945,993 a year earlier. Both cities had fewer homes listed for sale than a year before, and homes in both went under contract in roughly a month.
Zillow’s most recent sales figures, for August 2026, show a median sale price of $838,750 in Escondido and $1,015,000 in San Marcos. In both cities the typical sale closed near its list price. Those are the headline numbers. The rest of this article explains what each one measures and how to use it without leaning on it too hard.
The key figures side by side
Every figure below comes from one source, Zillow Research’s published housing data, so the two cities are measured the same way. Each row names its month. The value, inventory and days to pending figures run through September 2026. The sale price, sale to list and above list figures run through August 2026, the latest month Zillow had published for sales when this was checked on November 2, 2026. All rows cover houses and condos together.
| Metric (Zillow, month) | Escondido | San Marcos |
|---|---|---|
| Typical home value, Sept 2026 | $839,152 (Sept 2025: $830,937) | $953,656 (Sept 2025: $945,993) |
| Median sale price, Aug 2026 | $838,750 (Aug 2025: $820,000) | $1,015,000 (Aug 2025: $955,000) |
| Median days to pending, Sept 2026 | 30 (Sept 2025: 33) | 28 (Sept 2025: 31) |
| Median sale to list ratio, Aug 2026 | 99.5% (Aug 2025: 98.8%) | 100% (Aug 2025: 100%) |
| Share sold above list, Aug 2026 | 31.7% (Aug 2025: 22.1%) | 28.6% (Aug 2025: 36.9%) |
| Homes listed for sale, Sept 2026 | 363 (Sept 2025: 414) | 186 (Sept 2025: 230) |
Other sites publish their own figures for these two cities, and they do not always match Zillow or each other, because each one counts sales and periods differently. That is why this article sticks to a single source rather than mixing numbers.
How to read these numbers
The typical home value is a Zillow estimate of a mid range home, smoothed over time. The median sale price is the middle of the homes that actually closed that month. They answer different questions, so they will not line up, and in San Marcos the August median sale price sits above the typical value.
Monthly medians in a single city can move a long way. In San Marcos, Zillow’s median sale price was $955,000 in August 2025 and $840,000 in September 2025, one month later. That swing says more about which homes happened to close than about the market as a whole. Read a city figure as a snapshot, then look at the homes behind it.
Days to pending counts how long a typical listing took to go under contract, not to close. Escrow comes after that, so plan your own dates around the full sequence, not this figure alone.
I look at more than one month before reading anything into a number. A single month of sales in one city can swing a long way on a handful of homes.
What the figures mean for a seller
If you own in Escondido or San Marcos and are thinking about selling, the figures show fewer competing listings than a year earlier and typical sales closing near list price. In Escondido, 31.7% of August 2026 sales went above list, up from 22.1% a year earlier. In San Marcos the share was 28.6%, down from 36.9%. None of that sets a price for your home.
Your price comes from comparable homes near yours, matched on size, condition and type. Michelle can walk you through recent comparable sales and how your preparation, timing and plans fit. Questions about taxes on a sale belong with a tax professional.
What the figures mean for buyers and investors
For a buyer, homes going under contract in about a month in both cities means it helps to have your financing conversation done before you start touring. A licensed lender can explain loan types and what you can comfortably carry. For investors weighing these two cities, the market figures are only a starting point. They say nothing about what a specific property allows or costs to own.
- Ask the City of Escondido or the City of San Marcos about zoning, permits and allowed uses
- Check rental rules with official sources before assuming a home can be rented
- Read any association rules and budgets closely, especially for condos
- Bring financing questions on investment purchases to a licensed lender
- Take tax questions about owning or selling a property to a tax professional
What a citywide number leaves out
A citywide figure blends very different homes. Condos and houses, older homes and newer ones, large lots and small ones all sit in the same median. Two homes on the same street can sell for very different prices because of condition, layout or a recent remodel. A citywide median cannot tell you any of that.
So treat these figures as context for a conversation, not an answer. What matters for your decision is the small set of recent sales that look like the home you own or the home you want, and what you learn about that specific property during escrow.
Talk it through with Michelle
If you are weighing Escondido and San Marcos, or anywhere else in North County San Diego, write down what you are trying to decide, your timing and the type of home you have in mind. Bring those notes and these figures to a conversation with Michelle Peters. You can look at the recent sales that fit your situation together, with no pressure and no obligation.
Sources
This article is general information about selling, buying, investing and relocating across North County San Diego and San Diego County. It is not legal, tax, lending, zoning or inspection advice and does not predict prices or returns or promise results. Confirm financing with a licensed lender, contracts with a qualified legal professional, and zoning, land use, taxes and services with official sources. Michelle Peters, HomeSmart Realty West.
Written by